


Burden of Proof

by KyeAbove



Series: The Reinforcement Of Agony AU [95]
Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Dad Henry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2019-03-11 01:19:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13513764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyeAbove/pseuds/KyeAbove
Summary: Agony:HellHenry finds a near perfect Bendy walking the halls of the studio, but that could only mean one thing.





	Burden of Proof

~Unknown~

* * *

 

Trying not to make a sound, Henry checked around corner after corner, looking out for suspicious puddles that could spawn Searchers, and for the spidery ink betraying the Ink Demon’s chase.

Despite Henry's caution, there was a sense of temporary peace in the studio. It didn't include the Searchers, nor the Ink Demon, but something about Henry's arrival had triggered a feeling among many of the ink creatures, and it seemed to grow more and more defined.

Recently, Henry had gone down to the depths of ink. He'd planned to retrieve a projector, so some cartoon shorts he'd found could be watched in the safehouse. He’d encountered The Projectionist by accident. Instead of charging at Henry, The Projectionist seemed more startled then anything. Then he'd backed up, tripping over a rather amused looking Striker, who had been half clinging to The Projectionist's leg.

Striker had pestered Henry until he helped The Projectionist up. A slow, grueling task because of Henry's shorter stature and The Projectionist’s most defining, heavy feature. But for Henry efforts The Projectionist had carried a projector to the safehouse for him.

There was also the time he saw Piper walking beside Fisher, with the former holding the later's head where it should have been. It was rather adorable. If Piper really was Shawn, Henry had strong suspicions of who Fisher was, and it made Henry all the more happy.

On top of all that, Henry once caught Alice in the library, and she’d recommended him a book before she’d tried stabbing him. It was something, at least.

Things were starting to go right.

So, of course something had to turn out wrong.

When Henry turned the next corner, something else walked into view. Someone. A tiny ink creature, hiding its face with its gloved hands. Henry was on defense, forming his axe, as the ink creature froze and removed its hands, allowing the creature to look at Henry.

Henry stared back in shock. Because this wasn't an average Searcher or any other odd formed creature. Staring at Henry, was a Bendy.

Wasn't the Ink Demon the incarnation of Bendy? A cruel, damning image, but Bendy none the less? Even with all the clones of characters, that had been limited to Borises and Butcher Gang members. So why was there a tiny Bendy -who Henry wouldn't be able to pick out as anything but ‘perfect’ from a glance- slowly backing away from where Henry stood?

It clearly wasn't the next stage of the Ink Demon. Being regressed to something so tiny would probably enrage Joey more than anything. Immediately, Henry's parental instincts kicked in.

Henry dropped his axe, and crouched down.

“Hey. I’m not going to hurt you.” The Bendy paused, still cautious, but listening to what Henry was saying, or rather his soft tone, was a start. “Can you speak?”

The Bendy stared at him blankly.

“I guess not.”

Henry took a leap of faith, and opened his arms. This Bendy hadn’t attacked him on sight, so maybe he was a friendly toon, like Henry's Boris? Henry couldn't say until he knew more if this Bendy had any lucidity, but he didn't deserve to be alone.

It turned out Henry's faith was well placed. The little Bendy made a little sound, and toddled over to Henry. He pressed his head against Henry's chest, directly over his heart. Henry closed his arms, and the little Bendy started purring, and the tension left his body.

Friendly then. Henry smiled.

“Okay, little guy.” Henry picked Bendy up, waiting for any resistance. Bendy proved any fears wrong when he rested his head on Henry’s shoulder, blubbering something indistinct.

But it wasn’t like the indistinct mumbling of the other ink creatures.

Henry placed it easily, flashing back to now painful memories of his son Felix. Baby talk.

Henry didn't want to think a child had been a victim in all of this, even though many of the employees had children. Maybe this was the ideal perfect toon, no human sacrifice needed? Henry wished that with all his hear, as Bendy reached for a clump of Henry's hair, and started chewing on it.

Either way, Henry wasn't going to leave the kid. Picking up his axe, Henry once again set off for home with a stray ink creature.

When Henry knocked on the door, it was the wolf who pulled the lever to open it.

Boris or Wally, Henry couldn't say, for his part seemed shocked.

“New little brother?” Henry suggested as he entered the safehouse.

The confusion displayed by the wolf gave away this was Boris, not Wally.

Boris’s eyes never left Bendy, and Henry knew why.

“I don't think he has anything to do with the Ink Demon.”

Boris visibly relaxed, and then seemed more than happy to approach Bendy. Bendy in turned screeched, burying himself into Henry.

“Ah, shucks.” Boris said, sadly. Bendy turned slightly, so he could judge Boris with a single pie-shaped eye.

This was…sad.

“I’m sure he’ll warm up to you eventually.” Henry said, in a hopeful tone. He set Bendy down on the table, and the little toddler starred up at him in displeasure, and then demanded to be picked up again.

That was when Timmy entered the front area, and his gaze immediately fell on Bendy. Bendy starred back, and the toddler made a sound of fear, and his attempts to be picked up became vocalized.

“Okay, okay,” Henry picked Bendy back up, and the toddler started crying. “It’s alright! Timmy’s nice!”

Henry wondered if Bendy was only remembering a time where everyone was human. Or if he’d had a impressionable encounter with one of the other ink creatures.

Maybe both?

Henry held Bendy close as he prepared to ask the damning question from the only one who could answer it.

“Timmy, you can tell these things, right? Is...is Bendy a human?”

Timmy nodded.

“Was… Was he an actual child?”

Timmy nodded once more.

Poor thing.

While Henry was mad, he wasn’t surprised. No one else had been spared. If there was a child at the studio, they would have been dragged into the ink. Bendy was someone's child, unable to grow up. Wasn't that the greatest tragedy of all this?

“I can only hope I can save this little guy too.” Henry said, as Bendy looked at Henry directly. Henry smiled at him, and after a few moments, Bendy smiled back.

Henry would do everything in his power to make sure that smile rarely faded.


End file.
